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Nov
26
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2012 USAB High Performance Development Conference Ends On A High Note
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Nov 26, 2012,
12:00 AM ET
The first
national level USA Badminton (USAB) High Performance Development Conference
which was held from November 11-13, 2012 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center,
Colorado Springs ended on a very positive note. Nine (9) clubs attended the
conference.
USAB in
collaboration with the USOC are promoting the idea of an American Athlete
development Model to improve the quality of U.S. elite athletes. This plan aims
to involve clubs and athletes with the goal of placing a U.S. badminton athlete
on the world stage and Olympic podium.
USAB
will form a coalition of clubs who wish to be certified as a USAB Training
Center (TC) or USAB High Performance Club (HPC). CLICK
HERE for TC
or HPC Certification Criteria.
Definitions
Training
Centers: These
are sites with an international-standard facility
and an international-level coaching staff that enable fulltime resident elite athletes
to train at high intensity with the goal of achieving Olympic and world-class podium
status.
High
Performance Clubs: These are sites with an
USA-standard facility and a national and/or international-level coaching staff
that enable elite U.S. athletes aspiring to be international-level athletes to
train at very high intensity.
The USOC staff
who worked closely with USAB to ensure that the conference was a success were
excited to meet and form relationships with the owners, administrators and
coaches from the nine major clubs. The club owners and administrators were also
very pleased to be able to connect with the USOC and realize the variety of
services that the USOC can provide to enhance the performances of their coaches
and elite athletes.
One subject
that got everyone intrigued was the concept of an American Badminton Athlete Model.
The discussion raised everyone’s hope because it was clear that when the jig
saw pieces are completed it will lead to an U.S. badminton athlete on the world
podium.
The long and
intense conference included various presentations and discussions on numerous
topics. Among them were:
-
Discussion
on what it would take for the USA to be world-class,
-
The
importance of long term planning
-
Conditioning
for Badminton
-
Coach
Development’s role in high performance athlete development & tools for
coaches
-
Safe
Sports training
-
Long
term athlete development
-
The
concept of an American Badminton Athlete Model
- The
concept of full-time in the U.S. badminton context
- Funding
and membership
As a follow up to
this conference, lookout in the future for club profiles to be published in a
sequential manner. The next phase of the high performance development project
is a USAB High Performance Coach Conference which will be held in the Bay Area
in March 2013.